Japan | Matsushiro Art Nature Trail

One of the main venues of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale is Matsushiro Central (i.e. Matsudai Train Station), next to which is the "Snow Country Agricultural Culture Village (Nongtai)", which is the center of the conference and also a major performance venue of the conference. Festival director Tomio Kitagawa believes that the "Nongtai" is a microcosm of the entire Echigo-Tsumari. There is a nature trail behind the "Nongtai". Along the trail, you can walk to the mountain of Matsushiro Castle and see the entire Matsushiro Central, the train station, and the surrounding mountains and farmland. This nature trail starts from Nobutai at the foot of the mountain and goes to Matsushiro Castle at the top of the mountain. It takes about two hours to go back and forth. There are many art installations of the art festival placed along the way, with as many as 50 pieces, and the density of the works is much higher than in other areas. Along this trail, you can climb up and see the distant view, appreciate the works of artists from all over the world, and explore the natural ecology of Matsushiro along the way. It is a three-in-one experience. At the starting point, the organizers suggested that visitors could walk up the mountain in a figure 8 shape, where they could see dozens of installations along the way. Each work is unique, telling the artist's understanding and views of this land, which is truly a case of "after a dark tunnel there comes a new world". From another perspective, for friends who love natural ecology and hiking, this trail can lead to Matsushiro Castle. Along the way, there are coniferous forests and rice fields, and abundant field birds, wetland insects, amphibians, reptiles, and spiders can be found. It would take half a day to appreciate the scenery, ecology, and installation art. #Overseas Travel #Japan #Art Trip #Echigo-Tsumari Art Trip #Kitagawa Toro #Natural Trip #Hiking